Grandparents Adopting Grandchildren: The Darlings Are in the Details

Grandparents Adopting Grandchildren: The Darlings Are in the Details
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Can Grandparents Have Legal Adoption Rights Over Their Grandchildren?

Grandchildren Adoption Not Always Automatic. Grandparents Not Always First Choice; Best Interest Of The Child Is Also Considered!

grandparents adoption grandchildren

Deciding to adopt a child into a family is a serious undertaking, one that hopefully will bring great happiness for many years. While adoption laws vary from state to state, the process is always a lengthy one, with the applicant needing to meet many detailed requirements before being qualified to adopt. Among them are:

  1. Providing a thorough family and social history;
  2. Being physically and mentally healthy;
  3. Demonstrating financial stability;
  4. Showing moral integrity, with no significant criminal background history;
  5. Demonstrating other factors that the state or agency believe are relevant to the adoption.

At an increased pace, grandparents are petitioning courts to adopt their own grandchildren. This is occurring as result of the incarceration of one or both parents, substance abuse issues the parent(s) are dealing with, or as a consequence of domestic violence, etc. In fact, more than 2.6 million children are living with grandparents, relatives, or close family friends without either of their parents in the home.… Read More... “Grandparents Adopting Grandchildren: The Darlings Are in the Details”

[NEW STUDY] The Correlation between Social Interaction and Happiness

[NEW STUDY] The Correlation between Social Interaction and Happiness
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New Data Confirms Findings From 2010 Social Interations Study

social interactions happinessA prominent 2010 study involving the correlation between social interactions and happiness done by Matthias Mehl, Simine Vazire, Shannon Holleran, and Shelby Clark has recently been updated and redone. These same individuals repeated this social interactions study with a broader group of participants including cancer patients, healthy folks  as well as with people who were recently divorced. The results were published in the September 2018 issue of Psychological Science

We are all social creatures. Interaction with others is generally necessary in our society. These 2 studies investigated these engagements with others as well as what kinds of social interactions make people happy. Is having superficial relationships or casual conversations enough to positively move the “happiness meter”?  Is it enough just to be around others and to have casual conversations? Or, is it important to be engaged in deep and meaningful conversations? Did only the “extraverts” react positively to the social interaction?

The Connection Between Social Interaction And Happiness Confirmed

The researchers factored personality measures into this study. Somewhat surprisingly, the results between the “extraverts” and the “introverts” didn’t … Read More... “[NEW STUDY] The Correlation between Social Interaction and Happiness”

Commissions and Ohio Child Support – A New Ohio Supreme Court Decision

Commissions and Ohio Child Support – A New Ohio Supreme Court Decision
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Ohio Supreme Court Rules One-Time Commisions To Be Excluded In Gross Income Calculation Of Child Support

child support gross income supreme courtUnder the new Supreme Court Decision, A.S. v. J.W., 2019-Ohio-2473, which was decided on June 25, 2019, commissions that are one time award are not to be included when calculating gross income for child support calculations.

When child support is calculated for a divorce settlement, the court bases the amount on the a number of things, including the gross income of each parent. Gross income, according to the statute (O.R.C. 3119.05(D)) includes the yearly average of pay, plus the average of any bonuses or overtime earned. The Court then can either average those totals from the past three years, or use the most recent year’s information.

The issue that the Court grappled with was to whether commissions are to be included in the calculation of ‘bonuses or overtime’ earned. In part of the statute, it is included in the list, and not included in another part of the statute. This leads to what us lawyer types call ‘confusion’.

To sort through the statute, the Supreme Court looked at the specific … Read More... “Commissions and Ohio Child Support – A New Ohio Supreme Court Decision”

Blast From The Past: Divorce, Summer Holidays for Those Newly Divorced

Blast From The Past: Divorce, Summer Holidays for Those Newly Divorced
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PUBLISHERS NOTE: Psychotherapist Donna F. Ferber penned this post about divorce back in 2015. It is still a good read about the struggles a newly divorced person experiences during the summer holidays. We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

The Struggle Of Divorce During the Summer Holidays – How To Juggle The Roles And Responsibilities In Your Life

divorce summer holidaysMemorial Day, Labor Day and 4th of July are holidays that celebrate different aspects of American culture. Memorial Day honors those who fought to defend our principles and ideals, Labor Day honors our work ethic, and 4th of July honors our fight for independence. We don’t consider them “big holidays.” They are, for most of us, times to be outdoors, watch some fireworks, and eat lots of good food. They also give us an extended weekend.

For a newly divorced person, however, these holidays can take on great significance. You, too, have been fighting for your principles, working hard, and struggling with your newfound independence. No three holidays in … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Divorce, Summer Holidays for Those Newly Divorced”

Three Costly Mistakes to Avoid in Your Divorce!

Three Costly Mistakes to Avoid in Your Divorce!
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Listening To Advice From Friends And Relatives Not Always Wise In Divorce. Choose The Right Divorce Lawyer For Your Case!

divorce lawyer mistakes

No one expected that they would later be involved in a divorce when they married. But unfortunately, not all marriages are “forever”.  Clients facing a divorce generally want it to be fair, drama free, inexpensive and quick.

As a Dayton, Ohio, family law lawyer for 40 years, I have lots of experience helping people in all kinds of divorce situations from relatively simple cases to complex high conflict cases. Here are some tips based on the experience that I have gained.

What are the 3 Top Costly Mistakes to Avoid in a Divorce?

  1. Choosing the right attorney
  2. Ignoring the divorce complaint
  3. Listening to advice from friends and relatives

Choosing the Right Attorney

Divorce law is an extremely complicated practice area. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to find an experienced divorce lawyer that you have interviewed and to whom you can relate. Interview several. Take the time to get recommendations from family and friends who have gone through a divorce in your area.  Read online … Read More... “Three Costly Mistakes to Avoid in Your Divorce!”

How to Help Your Kids Deal with Tough Times

How to Help Your Kids Deal with Tough Times
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PUBLISHERS NOTE: While this advice by Dr. Ramey was geared towards kids, I think it also applies to adults going through “tough times” like a divorce. What do you think?

kids tough times

Should We Protect Our Kids From Life’s Tough Times Or Should We Only Help Them?

Bad stuff happens to our kids every day. Wise parents don’t go to extraordinary means to protect kids from life, but rather they help their children manage minor frustrations or major traumas. These are the ways I approach these kids in my office.

  1. This will pass. Youngsters often think that the intense emotional pain they feel today will continue forever. Adults know that both good and bad times are transitory. It’s hard to explain that to kids, who may feel that you are discounting their feelings.
  2. Avoid mis attribution. In trying to make sense of their parents’ divorce or being rejected from a basketball team, youngsters often come up with some very weird and inaccurate explanations. They may blame themselves or some irrelevant or random event. It’s difficult for kids to understand that the reasons why things occur are often unknown, and
… Read More... “How to Help Your Kids Deal with Tough Times”

Same Sex Couples Count for the 2020 Census

Same Sex Couples Count for the 2020 Census
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Same Sex Couples To Be Tracked In 2020 United States Census

same sex couples censusAs of 2020, same sex couples will be officially tracked by the United States Census. For the record, same-sex marriage is legal in 19 states and in the District of Columbia. North Dakota has banned it. According to a Pew Research Report, this is the first time the United States Census Bureau will ask specifically for same-sex couples to identify themselves. Other questions on the form include age, sex, Hispanic origin, race, relationship status, homeownership status, and citizenship.

Rather than the usual under-representation faced by the LGBTQ+ community, same sex couples have apparently been over-counted by the Census Bureau. In past counts, the Bureau established the number of same sex couples by combining answers from the question regarding the respondent’s sex, and the question as to whether they had a husband, wife, unmarried partner, or no partner. The Census Bureau then combined those answers and determined whether a couple was considered same-sex or not. However, research into the 2010 census showed that the majority of same sex couples in the 2010 census were recorded as opposite … Read More... “Same Sex Couples Count for the 2020 Census”

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